Thoughts For Thursday: Scent Memories

One of the best things about living in a 'small town' is most of the time you have a straight up meat market - and I'm not talking a meat counter at the grocery store - I'm talking about a stand alone building that sells pretty much nothing but meat.
I love meat.  I won't lie.

Let me take you back...
When I was a little girl, I lived N.E. Minneapolis and our local butcher/meat market was Ready Meats - every time we were to have meat for dinner I would BEG to go with whichever of my parents were making the run to Ready's.
Walking into that place is something I won't likely ever forget... every time you walk in you're greeted with, not only a friendly staff, but the wonderful meat market smell.
The other reason I always loved going to the meat market is because my parents would always let me get a string cheese - BEST DAY EVER!  String cheese is the BOMB.

You know how they say a smell can bring you back to a memory?

Back to the little town I live in.  We have Anoka Meats, and boy are we lucky; best little meat market ever.  The other day I walked in to grab some ground beef for tacos (yep, we still used ground beef, haven't quite jumped on the ground turkey bandwagon yet) and the smell instantly brought me back to when I was a kid, walking into that meat market with my parents, smelling the smell and getting my string cheese.

It's a wonderful memory, for many reason.

I've yet to pickup a string cheese from our local meat market as an adult.. I don't think I want to ruin that childhood memory, so I probably never will.

Do you have a memory that pops up based on a smell?  Tell me about it - I have many more that I'll write up on soon!

Cooking Class

Back on December 16 I turned 30... the BIG 3-0!!
My wonderful aunt told me that her gift to me was a cooking class at a little store here in MN called Kitchen Window - I posted about it here.

Well... somewhere along the line that class was cancelled because of low participation.  lame.  Because it was bound to be amazing.

We rescheduled and last night was our class.  I don't have pictures (dirty hands don't take good photos!), but I do have the class description:

Whether it’s a hearty swordfish steak or the local catch of the day, fish is wonderful on the grill. But cooking it takes some care. Because fish cooks quickly, it’s easy to overcook, and to lose delicate flavor and texture. This hands-on class will show you the way to fabulous fish every time – and you’ll get some great recipes as well. You’ll learn how to use different smoking woods to add flavor to your fish; the merits of gas vs. charcoal grills; and how to build a sauce. To kick things off, we’ll enjoy SMOKED SCALLOP TOSTADA with PICO DE GALLO & CREMA FRESCA. We’ll learn how to shuck oysters for BLACK PEPPERCORN SMOKED OYSTERS. We’ll follow that with SUGAR CANE SHRIMP with FRUIT SALSA and STUFFED CALAMARI – whole calamari filled with a savory stuffing and grilled to perfection. We’ll cook two kinds of fish: GRILLED ARCTIC CHAR with VERMOUTH COMPOUND BUTTER & GRILLED GREEN BEANS; and CRUSTED MAPLE-PLANKED HALIBUT, which will show you how much flavor a simple piece of wood adds to your cooking. For dessert, we’ll make STRAWBERRY-ORANGE S’MORES – grilled shortbread with Cointreau, strawberries and charred marshmallow.

The class was a 'grill masters' class, so they focus more on the grilling vs that basic chop some onion now type of thing - all the ingredients for our sauces or stuffing were pre-measured (which I like because going to a class to chop onion does not sound like a good time when I cry 5 seconds into cutting an onion).  We just mixed everything together and go about grilling the stuff.

It was an absolute wonderful time!  We drank wine while we cooked, mingled with the other cookers, and enjoyed being together - aunt and niece.
Not only do I have wonderful memories of the night, but now I have a good seafood market to go to when I want to get some good stuff :)  oh, and the skill to grill it :)

Random v.11.6

• Want to hear something super awesome but super lame at the same time?  I deleted my account with myspace yesterday.  LOL.. yeah, I still had one.
  
• The smell of Cheetos reminds me of being little - on Sunday's we'd go bowling as a family.  I'd always beg my parents for the 10 or 15 cents it took to buy a bag of Cheetos from the vending machine... so ever since then, opening a bag and smelling them takes me back to the bowling alley.  It's one of my favorite smells, my favorite memories, and one of my favorite snacks.
  
• I've deleted the link to my bog from both Facebook and Twitter - the cons of working with family (who have both) and having many changes at work make you want to write angry blogs.
  
• I'm left handed.
  
• I love Mexican food; I want to travel {back} to Mexico and try the authentic stuff!
  
• I'm turning 30 in 37 days; on a Friday.  What should I do that won't break the bank?
  
• I want to marry Steve and spend the rest of my life with him (I think of this every time Beyonce comes on singing "Single Ladies").  I'm also head over heels in love with the guy!
  
• I don't want kids.
  
• I want to take a trip!
  
• I have a Type A personality
  
• I'm addicted to Facebook lately.
  
• The single most popular image on my blog is this one:
  because people Google the exact words "Fish with Arms"  What goes on in this world?
  
• I posted on facebook a couple weeks ago that I went to the ATM to deposit a rebate check and I didn't need an envelope, it just took the check, scanned it, and told ME how much it was for.  Neat.  Last night I went to Old Navy and was given the option to have a printed receipt or have it emailed to me.  I'm already on their mailing list (for coupons)... so why not?  The world is advancing... and I fear as I approach 30, I'm not ready for it.

That's all.

Rest In Peace, Davina

On Saturday, June 12, 2010 heaven gained an angel.

Davina and I were great friends for a long while during my high school career.  We lost touch after she graduated (2 years earlier than me), but always kept our bond and friendship when we'd see each other, which wasn't often.  She was the type of person that you couldn't help but be happy around.  She was always positive, full of energy, and always smiling; her smile is one you'd never forget.  

Such a kind and giving person... I'm instantly flooded with happiness thinking and remembering all the times I spent with Davina.  

We once spent the night in my 1988 Ford Bronco II, with 2 boys, in the parking lot of the local Target store.  One of the boys had a major crush on me and went on and on and on about how I'm the one for him and I should just give him a chance... Davina and I sat in the front seat and giggled so hard about that... with him right there.  

We used to hang out at our friend, Kelley's, house.  We'd hit on the neighbor boys, who were way too old for us, we'd sit and gossip about all the girls in high school and about all the boys we were in love with.  All the typical things high school age girls do... so many laughs, so many memories.

Davina was diagnosed with Lupus in 2005; Liver and Kidney failure took her life in 2010.

Its amazing to sit and think that at 30 years old a life can be taken like that; someone so good and so full of life can be taken from this world.  Was she meant to touch us the way she did?  Was she meant to be that positive force in so many lives?  Was her life's purpose more than that; something that I'm unaware of?  I'm not a religious person and I don't know what I believe about the meaning of life... but it doesn't mean I don't wonder.  

To you, Davina: you were one of the most amazing friends a person could ask for; loyal, positive, beautiful, crazy, fun, and hilarious.  My memories with you, while long ago, instantly bring a smile to my face.  Remember when we searched long and hard for that grey M&M?  Remember BinkyBinaDee?  Remember all the nicknames?!  My only regret is not keeping in close contact with you over the years... if even to just see you once or twice a year.  You've touched my life and so many others.  I'm glad your pain is gone and you can rest in peace now.   I will never forget you. 

Now and Then

I'm so excited I finally have time to sit and write this - with heart and true feeling (not to mention I now have both pictures I need to write it)!  I don't even know where to begin....

Let me take you back 20 years, the year is 1989, I'm 7 years young.  My family gets this great idea to get all the cousins together for a portrait... my family is super neat in that we have 4 'families' - My Gma (dad's mom) had 4 kids; Jackie, Jill, Jayne, and John - each of which were married and had kids, a boy first and a girl second - 8 cousins total.  This was to be a portrait for my gma's birthday.
Here is the final product (after a long time of trying to get a good one):

(Click to Enlarge)

Now follow me back to the year 2009, about 3 months ago.  My cousin Bryan (who is in the blue shirt with black stripes in the above picture) buys a house and has a house warming party.  Me and my 2 girl cousins, Shannon and Michelle (who are the smallest girls in the above picture and also the girls I have pictures ALL OVER Facebook with), decide we need to take a look through Bryan's photo albums.  We find above photo and laugh about how funny we look (like my hair!) and then I look at the date and say Holy Crap, did you realize that was 20 years ago?!  We all stop and look at each other in utter shock.  Then our brains get going thinking things like Gma's Birthday is right around the corner... could we really pull something like this off?!  More importantly, can we pull it off without our parents knowing?!

Many email and lots of research later... we  have a date set, everyone can make it (which is asking a ton, if you know my family), this is for Gma... this is going to be good!
Shannon and myself are pretty much running the show, talking to people, telling people what to wear, etc.  About a week before our portrait date Shannon and I start freaking out...  what if someone doesn't show up?  What is a dark color really?  Is Bright Orange dark, cause I really wanna wear this shirt?  All the things two twenty somethings think about when planning such a huge thing!

Now walk with me to the day... it's a Monday, I work my shift, a complete wreck most of the day thinking about who I think will and won't show up (either cause they forgot or because 'something came up').... I go home, change and grab a spare shirt in case I don't match the rest of the bunch, Shannon picks me up (then insists we make a stop at a way overpriced Lemonade Stand on the way), we make our way to Target.  I'm in the bright Orange shirt after telling everyone to wear a dark color (what can I say, I look good in Orange). A few people are there... so far so good... a few more people show up... the last person to show is the person we were all most worried about... finally... HE SHOWS!!!  All 8 of us!?!?  Seriously, can this be real?!?!  Hurry Quick, before someone runs away!

Now follow me to about two weeks after the portrait when I go to Target and pick it up.  My jaw drops because this thing is so beautiful... and we all took the time to make it happen - Grandma is going to LOVE this!  I'm blown away, I can't wait to buy a frame and present this to gma on her birthday (which happens to be the 4th of July and a major family gathering [although this year it wasn't a full crowd]).

July 4th (actually July 3rd, but it was a July 4th celebration)- The day to give the gift.  Shannon, Michelle and I are all giddy with excitement... we can't wait BUT we have to wait for everyone to be there before we can let her open it... ugh.. Bryan is taking FOREVER to get there!  What feels like 7 hours later, he finally arrives... we beg our aunts (who have been in the dark technically, but have pretty well figured it out at this point) can we let her open it now... is it time for presents now?!  PLEASE?!!!!!?  They finally let us... Gma sees it and knows instantly what it is (come on, a huge picture frame wrapped isn't exactly hard to guess).  She doesn't know what it looks like though.  There were tears shed before she opened it!
Here is a shot of her opening it and seeing it for the first time:

Now, would you like to see it too?  I'll bet you would... 20 years have passed since we had our first portrait taken, we are older and (some of us) wiser; enjoy!

(Click to Enlarge)

Back Row: Jason, Jeff, Paul, Bryan

Front Row: Angela (me), Michelle, Kelly, Shannon

(each set of siblings are paired up)

I love my family.  We made Grandma's 85th Birthday a very special one for her... and it was worth every ounce of effort we put into it; I'd do it a million times over again to see the look on that lady's face!

One day I'll roll in a 1970 Chevelle

What's your dream ride?

What car would you most like to drive and why?



Ever since I can remember I've loved old classic cars. The body, the shape, the power, the sound... they are so clean and beautiful to me. Back in the day I used to know a lot about cars... I rolled with the guys who knew; they would talk and I would listen. I've since grown away from the knowledge but my love for them has continued on.



My dream ride: 1970 Chevelle 454 SS - I go back and forth on the color, but as of this moment it would be dark green with white racing stripes [used to be blue, and for a short bit it was a deep red]. I'd take any color though... just to have the car.



I went to a junk yard the other weekend to take some photos and the place was full of old cars, junky, but still beautiful in their own right. Torn to pieces, picked at, and left for dead... these cars all had shape and character. You know each car had a story to tell... it was so neat to see all those cars.

Over this past weekend I watched American Graffiti for the first time in my life and absolutely loved it ... and all the old Hot Rods in it. Heaven!



Then... on Sunday Steve and I rolled down to Midway. Now, for those who don't know, Midway is a strip of road by Porky's Drive-In where all the classic cars go on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer and just roll up and down the street. Granted, we were there by the light of day, I still had a rush of emotion. I used to spend every weekend down there when I was 17, 18, 19 years old. We'd park and just watch the cars go by. I had a few friends who had pretty nice cars; an El Camino, a Grand National, and some big trucks ... with a few others that would show up every now and then. My mom had a huge truck back then, and I'd drive it down there and just eat up the attention it got me from the boys... Oh man, those were the days!



As we got older and the ways of the world changed [more crime and such], the cops started coming down around 11pm and closing the street off and pretty much made everyone go home. It got lame so we stopped going. I miss it... and I fully intend to make a trip down to Midway this summer and see what it's like 10 years later.



I love thinking back to those times in my life. I used to think I was such a bad ass chick and I always thought that hopping into a 1970 Chevelle with a wife beater and my sexy long hair blowing in the wind would be such a good look for me. Who am I kidding... besides the long hair, it would still be a good look for me. Close your eyes and picture me rollin' - one hand on the wheel, window down and the other arm resting on the window sill... music blaring, probably some bass coming out of the trunk. It's a nice thought; isn't it?

Relive a Vacation - Mexico

It seems I've been reminded of Mexico a lot as of late, with the most recent being a friends status on Facebook stating that she was in Playa Del Carmen. It is so fitting that Plinky has asked me to relive a vacation on this day.


As sad as it is, I'm often brought back to Mexico just by the sewer smell in Downtown Minneapolis.


I've been to Mexico a handful of times; Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Playa Del Carmen.


Playa was one of my favorite trips because of my age and the fact that I was with my mom, brother, and best girlfriend, Amanda. I think there is no better way to travel to Mexico than to book an all-inclusive hotel. This means your meals and drinks are included in the cost; granted things have changed and this may not be the best option anymore.


Back in 2001 the four of us made the trip down for what turned out to be one of the best vacations of my life. There is nothing better than a white sandy beach with a fruity cocktail in your hand, nothing. We found a cocktail called a Banana Mama – which I assume to be just like a Bahama Mama with Banana, I’m not sure and I’ve never found a bartender in the States who knows what it is. They were a blended drink, which was great for the heat and they were easy to drink, which was great for us underage [in the States] girls.


We sat on the beach or around the pool by day and hit up about every club by night, we [Amanda and I] followed the cutest boys everywhere, and we participated in just about everything they had going on every chance we got. There was volleyball in the pool, water aerobics, shot contests, etc. every day and some sort of super fun show at night which always ended with them calling everyone up onto the stage to the tune of Follow The Leader by The Soca Boys. We even got my mom up on stage a few of the nights we were there! Our trips to the Mermaid in Mounds View afterwards often found us requesting the song and doing the dance we learned!


The three of us took a trip up to Cancun one night, which consisted of an hour long bus ride, one way. We hit up Senior Frogs for a good part of the night and ended up hooking up with a guy I knew from back in Minneapolis, that was a good time… and we all got pretty wasted; I don’t remember much of that night.


Back in 2001 my extra-circular activities were that of any person my age that grew up in the city… if you follow. I remember one night we ended up hanging out with a few siblings we met and doing some illegal [in the States] stuff. If you ever hear my friend Amanda use the line Hey Ang, are my eyes transparent? you now know that line came from that night.  Here is a picture from that night:

I honestly could go on for hours about the things I remember [and things I don’t] from that trip.


I can just close my eyes and go back...

Anniversary

Today (Thursday, April 2nd) would have been my parents 32nd wedding anniversary.  That's a long time to be married - especially considering that my mom just turned 50 back in October.  
What's even more crazy for me to think about is that they divorced after their 24th wedding anniversary - it's been a long time.  I'm honestly not sure if they actually made it to the 24th anniversary, because I don't know the actual date... but right around there.  


To think back on the past 8 1/2 years is a huge rush of emotion for me.  Roller coaster rides are fun, but not when its one of emotion.  I had such hate in me for a very long time.  Sometimes I think I still struggle with that.  I'm open to talking about the divorce if someone brings it up, but you will almost never hear me opening up a long intense conversation about it.  It's probably the single hardest thing I've ever had to go through.  I'm not okay with what happened but I am smart enough to know there is nothing I can do about it, so I deal with it.  


It is, overall, a tough day for me today.  I don't dwell on it, but it's always on my mind.  I think of how things would be different in my life if they hadn't divorced... both good and bad.  I wonder if my dad is truly happy with his life now, I wonder if he has any regrets, I wonder if he misses me as much as I miss him.  There have been several events over the past couple years that have me completely worried about him as well as angry with him for how he has dealt with them.  I have several mixed feeling towards my mother over the entire time line of events... there is just so much history that factors into their divorce.  I know I harbor negative feelings for my mother because of that ... I don't know how to successfully let them go.  


I know getting older generally comes with getting wiser - but a huge part of me feels I've learned so much just by going through this.  I know I believe in love, because I've both given and received it... its hard, though, to still believe in a successful life with another person; marriage [not that I'm looking for it!].  People will always be faced with temptation and, in todays world, marriage doesn't seem to be taken too seriously.  I don't understand that.  It's hard to believe in something that I watched crumble right in front of my eyes.  Life is tough ... 


I'm not writing this for sympathy or anything of the sort.  It's my blog and sometimes, believe it or not, I actually write for myself... you're just lucky enough to read it.  I just needed to get it out.

2008 Photo Review

Well, 2008 had it's up and downs for sure... and in effort to follow along with the blog world, I want to recap my year through photographs; only the good though.  This will be long!!
Here we go:

Duluth for my cousins 21st Birthday:

Learning how to knit!

Girls Dinners and crazy times with these chicks! 

My crazy outcast cousins and our photo shoots!

Having a blast at Rich's show

St. Patty's Day craziness with these fools (and walking away with the tie and buttons undone)

My trip to Vegas to visit with these 2 wonderful and beautiful women!

Mother/Daughter/Sister/Aunts/Cousins weekend in Nisswa

NYC in the Spring and seeing Coney Island for the first time!

Buying my first brand new car!!!

Playing in the rain with my silly family

Hanging with my boy Brandon and taking millions of pics on his MacBook

Many Twins games over the entire summer

Watching Jordan grow and seeing her turn 1:

Jenny's Wedding

My Brother's 30th Birthday

Climbing a Ranger Tower for the first time and spending the weekend with this bunch: 

Road Trip to MO to visit this great family (Not Pictured: Renee)

Jeff and Carissa's Wedding

Several Vikings games... and lots of drinking :)

Dressing up for Halloween and actually enjoying it!

Going to see Wicked

Rich (and ALL my friends and family) coming out for my birthday:

Cutting my hair for a cause: 

What Would You Do With a Brain if You Had One?

So we went to see Wicked last night and, just like the first time, I was blown away.  Tears in my eyes, chills up my spine... all over tingling.  I don't want to ruin the story for those who want to see or read it, so I won't talk about it, other than saying I had a wonderful night.
The group of us who went:

This morning, as I type, I am watching The Wizard of Oz... see, Wicked really changes how to view the rest of the story; I wanted to watch while it was still fresh in my head.  As I sit here watching this movie, not only do I find myself picking up on new things that I never understood as a child, but I'm also remembering all sorts of things from my childhood.
I remember this movie used to be on TV once a year and it was a huge event, at my house anyhow.  We would all sit down and watch it together.  I, like all little girls, loved the Ruby Slippers.  I went to Washington DC a couple years ago and was able to see one of the actual pairs of Ruby Slippers Judy Garland wore in the filming of the movie.  That was such a treat for me :)
I loved singing along to all the songs (still do), especially the beginning lines when Lion sings... If I were King of the Forrrrreeeeeesssttt... Follow the Yellow Brick Road, We're Off to See The Wizard... I love them all.

I have always loved the scene when Dorothy walks out of her house and everything is in color, the poppies, the Horse of a different color - such vivid colors throughout the entire movie!  I just absolutely love watching this movie and really could never get sick of it.  I always get tears in my eyes at the end when she must say good-bye to everyone :(

Watching it now... after seeing Wicked, I still love all this stuff, but I know a lot more about whats going on than I did before.  Just makes me feel so good inside watching it!

Remember... There's No Place Like Home.

Thanks for the Memories...

Hi Loyal Readers... as a warning- this blog is going back in time.  Might not make sense to some of you... but feel free to read and enjoy anyhow; some of my thoughts may cause you reflect on times in your life. 
I have been dealing with some drama for the past couple of months now- and recently it has caused me to think back to high school times.  My first thought is the gossip and drama, but I am quickly forced to think about all the good things High School had to offer: the boys, the fun, the lack of responsibility!
Who remembers John Kelly's El Camino?  I was so in love with that car that I actually ASKED if I could wash it for him... and he let me too (I just wanted to drive around in it!).  Remember sitting in Hanson's class and doing so much of nothing, but always working on Yearbook?!

My first vehicle was a Bronco II- I LOVED that truck, I made so many great memories in there!!  Before I could drive though... we used to ride our bikes EVERYWHERE... that is what's so great about Nordeast- it's such a small community in a big city!  The summer of 1997 was the greatest summer of my life- I know a few will remember that with me!  Jen- didn't we make a list of the wonderful things about that summer; any chance you still have that?

One of my favorite things about HS was the football games... man oh man, what a great time!  Painting the Rock before hand... and going to North, South, Henry and whatever other schools to paint their rocks as well!  Are you kidding me... SO MUCH FUN!  anyone want to paint the rock this weekend?  Class of 2000... LOL
Having zero bills to pay, and your biggest concern was getting a couple of bucks to put some gas in your car (and back then {haha, like it was that long ago} a couple bucks got you a couple gallons of gas).  Going to parties and having crushes on all the cute boys (or in my case, the boys who weren't scared of my BIGGER older brother).  Walking down the alley to DQ for lunch, and getting PHAT hook ups at DQ at night, when all your friends were working!  Going to Midway on the weekends and having those DELICIOUS shakes from Porky's!

We used to have so much fun doing a whole lot of nothing... growing up sucks.

I have such wonderful memories of high school and while the drama was always there, it just gave you something to talk about- which was fine by me.  It's funny to me that there is always drama between people, no matter the age.
I just thought I would post this for those who remember the fun HS brought to them.  I thought it was a blog worth sharing.  Feel free to post your own thoughts/comments/memories!!!
On a real note: I am all drama'd out... no more of it for me.
AND... it's windy as all get out here today.... I might blow away on my drive home!